U.S. troops get extra 75,000 pies from the Pentagon this Thanksgiving

WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

U.S. troops deployed overseas received 81,360 pies this Thanksgiving compared to 6,288 pies last year.

DLA spokeswoman Michelle McCaskill told NBC News that “the huge increase in pies was due to a change in menu planning.”

In addition to extra pies this Thanksgiving, the DLA are sending 10,000 more pounds of ham, 25,000 more pounds of beef, 9,000 more gallons, 10,000 more cakes and more than double the 2017 amount of shrimp.

A total of 81,360 pumpkin and pecan pies were sent to U.S. troops deployed away from their families this Thanksgiving. That’s 75,000 more than last year’s pie count of 6,288.

The Defense Logistics Agency, the government agency that handles food supplies for the military, sends foods for troops deployed in various areas around the world. The DLA has sent foods to members of the military in Iraq, Afghanistan, other bases in the Central Command area and the Middle East. Currently, there are roughly 40,000 troops in those sectors, the same as last year.

The U.S. also has more than 5,000 troops sent to patrol the border in Texas, Arizona and California.

However, DLA spokeswoman Michelle McCaskill said that the extra pies were not intended for the newly-stationed troops at the border this Thanksgiving. Those troops will be fed by nearby bases, with DLA providing some food in Texas and Arizona.

That said, it means the 81,360 pies were all sent to troops in the Africom and Centcom sectors.

“The huge increase in pies from this year in comparison to last year was due to a change in menu planning on behalf of the services,” McCaskill told NBC News.

But the DLA spokeswoman did not detail whether the “change in menu planning” meant a change in serving size or the definition of “pie.” McCaskill mentioned that they would not be saving leftovers for Christmas and New Year.

This Thanksgiving, the number of all holiday food items going to the troops is much higher.

In addition to 75,000 extra pies, the DLA also sent 10,000 more pounds of ham compared to last year, 25,000 more pounds of beef, and more than double the amount of shrimp.

The troops also received 9,000 more gallons of eggnog this year than in 2017, and 10,000 more cakes.